Chapter 2. I'm not in Oz anymore....
Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: Thank you to Elphiethegood, Akasharouge, EvilAngelLovesChocolate, and xEastendersFan4Lifex for reviewing the first chapter.
Since you asked for me to continue, I guess that means that you don't want me to scrap it...
...So, here's chapter 2.
Slowly, Elphaba came back to consciousness.
She moaned, as she slowly moved her head back and forth. What had Glinda done to her? As Elphaba slowly came too, she decided that once she and Glinda got back to their dorm, she was gooing to make sure the small pink cream puff got what was coming to her. Hell, she'd shred all of Glinda's dresses if it got the point across.
As Elphaba slowly came around, another figure watched from behind a tree. Silent, the figure moved out from behind said tree.
It wasn't long before the person was standing directly over Elphaba.
"Oh Lurline. No. No…"
Elphaba's eyes opened, staring at the sky. She blinked. The sky was… Black? Green? Oh Oz, the fall must have knocked her silly if she was actually seeing different colors for the sky.
Finally, she raised her head, and looked around. The black and green sank to its knees next to her. Groaning, Elphaba sat up, and was met with a world doing summersaults in front of her.
"Whoa…" She cried, putting a hand on her forehead, and closing her eyes. She took several deep breaths. "What happened?"
After several moments of silence, the thing next to her spoke.
"It looks like you hit your head."
Elphaba turned towards the voice. She stared in slight disgust at the thing next to her. Only, it wasn't a thing.
It was a person.
A woman, it looked like.
Dressed in a long, simple black dress, she wore a pointed hat on her head. A lot like the one Glinda had given her the night of the OzDust. The bodice of the dress had a beautiful pattern sewn on it with black thread, and the long black sleeves that reached to the person's wrists ended at the middle finger, with a loop over each. Elphaba noticed that the skirt was layered, and seemed to have a bit of black lace along the hem.
"Yeah, I realize that. Thank you for pointing it out." Elphaba's voice dripped sarcasm. Gently, she rubbed her temples, and stood, remaining on her feet for ten seconds, before she came crashing down hard to the brick beneath her.
Or, would have come crashing down, if long, elegant fingers hadn't grabbed ahold of her elbow and brought her gently down, seating her slowly on the brick beneath her feet.
She sat with a very unladylike OOF! Once back on the ground, the figure let go, lacing its-- no, her- for it was obviously a woman-- fingers and placing them in her lap.
Elphaba sat, legs stretched out in front of her, her head throbbing. She stared blankly at nothing, until movement from her companion forced her to look up.
The woman stood, revealing her full height (which to Elphaba, looked to be about 5' 6") and then sat back down on the brick next to her, legs out like a cheerleader- to the side- her skirt draped gently over her legs, the tips of black boots peeking out from the skirt. She then proceeded to take the hat off her head, brushing dust off the brim before placing it back on.
Elphaba noticed that the woman's hair was pulled back from her face. Or, had been, until she'd taken the hat off. Once it was removed, her hair tumbled down around her shoulders, thick as one of Glinda's many neon pink pillows, and black as spilled coffee. Like Elphaba's.
Once the dust was off the hat brim, the woman set it on the ground, before gathering her hair and twisting it loosely on top of her head. Then, she picked up the hat and placed it back on her head, her hair hidden beneath.
Elphaba studied her. She was the same shade as Elphaba- green. Her features seemed sharper, like she'd lived long before her time. Her eyes were the same warm brown as Elphaba's. As Elphaba looked at her, she noticed something strange.
She kept her feelings hidden, or so it seemed.
After a moment, Elphaba opened her mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say. After closing it again, she thought, then opened it and asked,
"Who are you?"
The woman sighed inwardly, and seemed to deflate slightly. She looked at her hands, refusing to meet Elphaba's eyes. After a moment, she said,
"I'm known as Fae. However, the Wizard and his Press Secretary Madame Morrible, labeled me a witch. The Witch of the West." Fae said, her voice laced with bitterness and hate at the mention of the Wizard.
"Wait. The Wizard? How would the Wizard know you? And Madame Morrible isn't a press secretary to anyone. She's headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University." Elphaba replied, staring at her.
Fae drew a breath. Her cheeks darkened; obviously, she'd slipped up without realizing it, and now had to think of some way to fix her slip. Slowly, her teeth slid out to grasp her lower lip between them.
Elphaba waited. Finally, Fae spoke. However, it was not to answer Elphaba's questions, but to ask one of her own.
"How old are you?"
Elphaba started. She blinked a couple times.
"Uh…um…I…I just turned nineteen last September. Why?"
Fae nodded, calculating the numbers in her head.
"That makes sense."
"What does? And how old are you?"
"I was nineteen when I was at Shiz. I am twenty-five."
"Oh…wait! You went to Shiz?!"
Fae's teeth found her lower lip again, and she chewed, until she was sure she tasted blood. Instead of trying to give some fake explanation, she nodded slowly.
Elphaba looked ecstatic.
"That's great! Then we can go back, and I'll tell Glinda not to worry--" Elphaba exclaimed, standing and turning in what she thought was the direction of Shiz.
"Glinda?" Elphaba looked down at Fae, who still sat on the ground next to her. "How do you know Glinda?"
Elphaba scoffed. "She's my roommate and my best friend. My only friend." Elphaba's voice softened on the last sentence.
Fae recognized the hurt in her voice. She hadn't had many friends growing up, hardly any as a child, and so she knew how important Glinda was.
Realizing something was wrong, Elphaba sat back down, now grateful she had; her head was starting to throb again. She looked at Fae. After a few minutes, she spoke.
"Where am I?"
"You're in Oz. However, this Oz, is…different than the one you know."
"How is it different? What, is it like a parallel universe or something? Or is this like a play that everyone is putting on for my benefit?"
"No. It's not a play. However, it is a parallel universe. And we need to get you back to your own time, before anything happens."
Elphaba furrowed her brow.
"How is this different? It looks exactly the same!" At this, Fae stood, grabbed the broom, and then grabbed Elphaba's arm, hoisting her up gently.
"That, my sweet, is where you are sorely mistaken. Now come, we have a lot to do before we're able to get you---"
"OW!" Elphaba cried out, as she stood, and her legs went out from under her, putting her back on the ground. Fae sat next to her. Instantly, her eyes traveled to Elphaba's ankle.
"Let me check." In one swift move, Fae had removed Elphaba's shoe and was examining her ankle. Elphaba whimpered in pain. "I don't think it's broken. Sprained, and badly." She placed Elphaba's shoe back on, then, wrapping the young girl's arm around her shoulder, and her arm around Elphaba's waist, she pulled the surprisingly light girl to her feet, and helped her walk.
"Come on. We need to get you back. But first, I'll take you home and fix your ankle."
Once the two were on their feet, Fae pulled out the broom and climbed on, looking like- to Elphaba- a child sitting on a seesaw.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Get on. We'll get home faster this way."
Swallowing her fear, Elphaba imitated Fae's stance, gently holding onto her. As the broom slowly lifted into the air, Elphaba let out a small cry.
"Hold on to me. Arms around my waist, good girl." Fae said, once Elphaba was situated. "Ready?" She asked. Elphaba nodded into her back, and Fae smiled, remembering how frightening her first broom ride had been.
"Hold on my sweet. We'll be home in no time."
And with a gentle kick of her feet on the ground, they sped off into the sky, on the way to the corn exchange. Elphaba's grip tightened on Fae's waist, and she paled slightly at the feeling of being so high up, nerves getting to her.
Fae smiled, and reached up to keep her hat on. As they neared the Emerald City, one thought ran through Elphaba's mind.
I'm not in Oz anymore.